1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a means for creating weep holes in a ridge of roadway material and more particularly to an apparatus which is attached to the heel of a motor grader blade to enable the operator of the motor grader to create weep holes in a ridge of roadway material at the same time as the motor grader is forming the ridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motor graders, which are sometimes called road graders, maintainers, etc., include a wheeled frame have a grader blade movably mounted thereon. The motor grader includes means for raising and lowering the blade and angling the same. The operator of the motor grader may manipulate the blade so that the same will dig, scrape or grade roadway material and direct the same rearwardly and outwardly with respect to the motor grader so that a ridge or windrow of roadway material is deposited adjacent the side or shoulder of the roadway. The roadway material may be gravel, dirt, crushed rock such as limestone, or combinations thereof. The ridge or windrow will remain at the side of the roadway for some time until the motor grader is utilized to spread the ridge of roadway material back onto the main portion of the roadway. The ridge or windrow will adversely act as a dam during periods of rainfall which will prevent the water from draining into the ditch adjacent the roadway. Since the surface water cannot drain into the ditch adjacent the roadway, the water collects on the roadway inwardly of the ridge and creates a traffic hazard.
It has therefore become a custom or practice to create weep holes or channels in the ridge of roadway material. The same is normally accomplished by making another pass with the motor grader after the ridge has been initially formed with the blade of the motor grader being lowered down into the ridge of roadway material to create the weep hole or channel therein. Normally, when the roadway slopes downwardly, the blade of the motor grader will be angled so that the weep holes extend downwardly and outwardly in the ridge of material. Likewise, when the roadway slopes upwardly, the grader blade will be angled so that the weep hole will extend downwardly and outwardly so that the water moving down the slope of the road will be directed into the uphill side of the weep hole to facilitate the drainage of the water through the weep holes.
The standard practice described above is time-consuming and requires that the motor grader make an additional pass to crate the weep holes.